Vinyl wrap, any experience of this?

[andybussell]

I'd be interested to hear of people's experience with vinyl wrap on topsides - pros and cons.

Many thanks in advance

 

[colind3782]

No direct experience but I had a conversation with a friend who is a professional "wrapper" and she said that a good paint job will always be better and easier to repair if you get a ding in it. Apparently, the vinyl comes in widths of 1.57m so the freeboard needs to be less than that to be done in one piece.

 

[Momac]

There are a couple of boat in our marina .
One is a gold colour and I think it looks terrible. A fender or something has rubbed against the vinyl at the stern and made holes in the vinyl. I guess it could be repaired.
Another 28 ft boat had it done DIY with some help and took a couple of days hard work. The weather needs to be dry and more importantly calm to avoid any muck blowing about and contaminating under the vinyl.

 

[Trundlebug]

There are a couple of boat in our marina .
One is a gold colour and I think it looks terrible. A fender or something has rubbed against the vinyl at the stern and made holes in the vinyl. I guess it could be repaired.
Another 28 ft boat had it done DIY with some help and took a couple of days hard work. The weather needs to be dry and more importantly calm to avoid any muck blowing about and contaminating under the vinyl.

+1
I would definitely agree.

Looks OK just after it's been done, and from a distance. Although you can tell the look of it, vinyl wrapped objects (both cars and boats) don't have a gloss finish, rather a satin sheen at best. At worst, a matt finish and looks very cheap.

But the first time you encounter a pontoon, lock wall or dock and the fenders have to do their job, the vinyl will easily tear, wrinkle and deform. Hardly seems worth all the effort.

 

[Corribee Boy]

I'm having problems with the yellow staining on the waterline of my hull. It's been going on for a few years, getting progressively worse each year. it will shift with oxalic acid, but I'm not going to do it every few weeks. I've been told that the surface of the gel coat can get chalky or porous and the stains soak in to this, despite waxing.

So, I sanded it this last winter, then polished it back, sealed and waxed it and it looked good, -for about two weeks after launching. Then the coffee moustache appeared around the bow, then spread right around the waterline.

The boat has little freeboard so raising the antifoul doesn't really work, even if I use a white boot top.

I did think about painting it but it's not economic to get a professional job and the best DIY job often looks a bit rough, and there's no going back.

Hence the reason to drag this thread back up - while I'm aware that vinyl wrap doesn't look as good as a professional paint job, it appears to be within the grasp of the amateur . Has anyone actually done it themselves, what vinyl did they use, and what source? Any useful tips or thoughts gratefully received!

 

[Joker]

My hull is painted blue, not gel coat, and I have a white vinyl strip about halfway down. It's quite deep - maybe 10cm - and goes the full length of the boat. It gets more dings then any other part of the hull, but a small strip laid on top hides them very well.

You could put a strip like that just above the waterline - perhaps say a light cream colour.

 

[Corribee Boy]

Thanks Joker: that's the sort of thing I was thinking of, but my rubbing strake is only about 18" over waterline (at least at the stern) so I might go up that high.

Do you know what make/supplier of vinyl you used? There's an awful lot of stuff out there making a lot of claims!

 

[Joker]

I used a place in a new industrial estate just of the A27 on the way into Gosport.

 

[Topcat47]

Couldn't be much worse than the Awlgrip paint job on Snark.

 

[Seajet]

I know a very good mechanic who works on top range cars like star's and racing jobs, but dabbles with peasant's jobs like mine; I'd never even consider it but asked him for interest what he thought of these vinyl jobs, ' what happens when someone tries to sell it and the buyer doesn't want the - usually - advertising stuff all over it ? '

As a bit of an engineer I'd guessed his answer, " does nothing but trap water then hold the rustbucket together until someone tries to peel it off ! "

 

[Corribee Boy]

Thanks Joker; I'll poke around a bit and see what I can find.

 

[xhurleyman]

Please email me as my boat has successfully been vinyl wrapped now for three years. She looks stunning and is easy to look after unlike what people are saying. If you get a ding it's easy to repair and easy to colour match. I will happily discuss it with you via my email.. leave me a private message. Cheers. Kevin Mitchell

 

[xhurleyman]

Gentlemen My Sadler 26 has now been vinyl wrapped for three years, she was done professionally and has so far won me 'The Best Boat of the Year' Silver cup from our Association twice. Contrary to what some of you are saying, the vinyl is not like cling film and does repair easily, far more so than trying to colour match paint. My boat looks stunning and unlike paint does not fade or get a bloom on it which requires constant polishing. I have soft fleece type fender socks and have needed to raft without marking. Entering pontoons is done the same as anyone would who is careful with their boat, gently. The job required four chaps on a scaffold and took two days to complete she also has cove lines and a waterline contrasting vinyl strips. I am very pleased with mine which cost a little less than paint and is reckoned to last about eight years, similar to paint. Cheers. Kevin

 

[MagicalArmchair]

I'll get pelted with eggs, however, Poliglow is great for old Chalky gelcoat, so long as its done right... Triolas had it on for years. I do want to get around to painting her, but time and dosh are always factors.

http://www.albinballad.co.uk/technology/poliglow/

I've written a DIY with the pros and the cons if you want to see it.

Edit - even if you don't want to see it, Full guide here http://www.albinballad.co.uk/how-tos/poliglow-miracle-cure-scourge-seven-seas/

 

[Corribee Boy]

Interesting point that you make about Polyglow, Mark - I do feel that there should be some sort of 'varnish' that could soak into this supposedly porous gelcoat, leaving it impervious to stains and the rest. I agree that you've got Triola looking good, so possibly Polyglow is the answer.

However, I throw the bar stool at the idea of paying that much, and putting that much effort in, for an effect that isn't going to last the season! Perhaps I'm just cheap but I'd like to see something lasting a bit longer, yet be reversible if need be. Hence considering the slightly dirty fix of using wrap, either just above the water line or maybe up to the rubbing strake.

Kevin, I'm looking to do this thing myself, so It's interesting to hear your experiences but I'm not sure I'm going to be as good as four men on a scaffolding, though!

 

[xhurleyman]

I understand Corribee boy, re DIY but Having seen what is involved I would not attempt it myself. A fair bit of prep was required as my boat had been painted. All the paint has to come off first otherwise all you are doing is sticking the wrap to a thin layer of paint. You want it to go onto gelcoat. It also requires a good product, mine came from America. You also need dry weather and not too hot or the boat being inside. IT certainly is a skilled job. You may be aware that quite a number of large power boats are all made as White hulls and any colours are often vinyl wrap. It's cheaper to produce White boats. Incidentally mine is a gloss finish as Matt or silk does not have the same highly polished look. Most Race boats have been wrapped which is how they get all those wonderful graphics on them then when the boat changes hands, the wrap is peeled off and a new one is put on.

 

[Corribee Boy]

I'm not completely inept at that sort of thing (and I'm not expecting a brilliant result, it's just that the current appearance of the boat is actually bit embarrassing and needs something done) but I suppose a few conversations with some professionals to get a 'back of a fag packet' costing couldn't harm.

 

[xhurleyman]

Hello again, if the staining is brown caused by being in a muddy berth, have you tried Oxallic crystals diluted in water, it works on my friend's boat up the Tamar. Not sure where you get the crystals. Another cleaner I used on another boat is Bar Keeper's Friend which I last bought in Waitrose at £7 a tub. It now I believe is only available on line in dry powder or a spray. It also has Oxallic crystals in, is cheap and does the job very efficiently.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Poliglow, full kit to do your boat == £90. I have no involvement with the product or the company selling it, so no sales pitch. Mine was the same, very chalky, porous gelcoat, very grubby and stained brown. Polishing and wax would die off pretty quick (weeks). Poliglow application can be done in a weekend. Its no substitute for a lasting solution, however, its a damn sight cheaper, and makes the boat look awesome for £90.

Triola after we did her a few years back.

 

[Corribee Boy]

I did read your blog, Mark, and saw the results - very good, as I said, but I feel that there should be something that doesn't need redoing through the season.

The same goes for things like Oxalic Acid: I bought a lifetime supply on ebay for a fiver but without curing the 'putative porosity problem' it only cleans, but doesn't prevent further fouling within a matter of days.

I haven't made the phone calls to 'wrappers' as I'm re-roofing the barn, but I will get round to it.